


Mastered Blocks

by hailynx



Series: Challenges, Events & Exchanges [13]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotionally Repressed, Fluff and Angst, KuroTsuki Festival Week 2018, M/M, Misunderstandings, Non-Chronological, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-02-29 23:56:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18788860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hailynx/pseuds/hailynx
Summary: Very belatedly writing forKuroo/Tsukishima Festival Week 2018.





	1. Day 1: Lies | Lyrics | Love Letter

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Haikyuu!!.  
> Please do not translate or repost/reupload.  
> Just messing around a little since I'm experiencing writer's block so updates will be spontaneous.

Kei admits that he can be weak, but this is a _can be_. Most of the time, Kei’s resolve is absolute. Kei is rarely swayed—his brother being the one exception, but a lot has changed since his involvement with Nekoma and Fukurodani. Who knew cats and owls could be so attached?

 

“Hey, hey, hey, Tsukki!” Bokuto exclaims, announcing his arrival with Akaashi. “We’re here to help!”

 

Despite Kei’s efforts to dodge, Bokuto throws an arm around Kei’s shoulder and that’s that. It’s been years and Kei is still thin as a stick, unfit to fight Bokuto when it comes to a battle of physical strength. Hell, if Kei is to be anything in front of these people, it’s weak. That doesn’t mean that Kei likes to let it show.

 

“Really?” Kei frowns, long forgoing _why me?_ because Kei never gets a satisfactory answer from Bokuto.

 

Kuroo nods, “Really.”

 

Kei looks around their shitty little university dorm room with disdain. Kei likes cleaning sure, but Kuroo is insisting on a full spring clean. This means that Kei will have to return the favour by helping Bokuto and Akaashi with their apartments too. Kei likes to clean up his own space in his own time, but Kei would rather suffer this than a mountain of complaints regarding how ungrateful he is.

 

“Then you can help us,” Bokuto grins. “It’s a win-win situation!”

 

“I’ll pass,” Kei deadpans.

 

If anything, Kei hates others being in his personal space and touching his things, even more than the socialising they force on him. The offer has always been there with these three, but Kei has consistently declined it. They know that Kei would always say no, but it hasn’t stopped them from asking just to shower Kei with their affection. Nonetheless, Kei likes to keep his distance. Akaashi knows this but Bokuto and Kuroo still like to push him.

 

Honestly speaking though, Kei doesn’t even know why he’s been dragged out of his room to help. They won’t even let him do the heavy lifting, claiming that he’s bound to break. Kei doesn’t know what else they’d need his help for but it’s not like he could have ignored it while they’re shuffling about and guilt tripping him into spending time with them.

 

“You’re still just a stick, Tsukki,” Kuroo teases. “Leave the heavy lifting to the adults.”

 

“What adults,” Kei mutters.

 

Kei can’t even shut them up because his frame hasn’t changed at all. Bokuto and Kuroo high five each other victoriously, certain that Kei has stopped growing because over the last year, they have been making an effort to feed him. That and the constant teasing have not changed. They no longer need to baby him but they do, almost as if Sugawara had insisted they continue his hard work.

 

“Adults,” Kuroo says, puffing up his chest.

 

Bokuto follows in suit, “Adults!”

 

Fighting and getting into a confrontation is troublesome so Kei concedes with a roll of his eyes. Kei looks around their space and looks for something else to do, so that they can get this spring clean done quickly and move on. Being around energetic people is draining. Hinata had been more than enough but now Kei has to deal with these two and on a regular basis so he needs to conserve his energy when he can.

 

Seeing as Bokuto and Kuroo refuse to let Kei help move the bed for vacuuming, Kei moves Kuroo’s books to the balcony to dust them. Kuroo has a lot of books but only few overlap with Kei’s interest. Kuroo is an avid reader, which would be surprising if Kei didn’t already know that Kuroo was in the college preparation class in high school and is through with his undergraduate law degree.

 

Kuroo has some interesting titles and the occasional romance piece. It’s not unexpected, given the way Kuroo is, but his copy of _The Tale of Genji_ is a surprise. It’s a true Japanese classic but Kuroo seems to adore the outdated text, if the battered pages are anything to go by. It’s intriguing despite Kei’s distaste of the text since he studied it to death in high school. Still, Kei is curious. What makes the text so alluring to Kuroo? His annotations should provide some insight, so Kei flips the pages open and scans its content.

 

Kuroo’s handwriting is neat, just as Kei knows it to be and he’s organised with his notes. Everything is colour coded by theme and the book looks so visually appealing, it almost makes Kei miss the fact that the text is in its original form. Kuroo’s copy of the text is an old edition which contains historic and poetic Japanese that even Kei has difficulty understanding. However, with how carefully Kuroo has annotated it, the text comes to Kei with ease. Kuroo’s intelligence is beyond what Kei had expected of his usually flimsy character.

 

In addition to Kuroo’s notes, Kei finds a folded letter hidden in its pages. The light and thin _Tomoe River_ paper captures Kuroo’s neat handwriting, which spells out Bokuto’s name with delicate affection. It’s dated all the way back in 2012, a long four years ago. Suddenly, Kei feels like he has stepped over the line but Kei does not feel compelled read it. It’s not for Kei’s eyes and so he returns it to where he found it, flips the page and pretends that he never saw it.

 

“Tsukishima?”

 

Instinctively, Kei snaps the book close, concealing the presence of Kuroo’s unsent letter and hoping that Akaashi hasn’t caught on. It’s difficult to tell when Akaashi is so perceptive but Kei tries. Kei is not as much of an asshole to reveal Kuroo’s best kept secret. It is clear that Kuroo’s letter is directed at someone unobtainable, because it sits amongst Kuroo’s things rather than the hands of the addressee. All these years, Kuroo has been holding on so it’s not Kei’s place to disrupt that balance.

 

“Akaashi-san,” Kei acknowledges, neutral as always.

 

“Oh, _The Tale of Genji_?” Akaashi hums over Kei’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen that since high school.”

 

Kei nods, nonchalant but feels protective nonetheless, because his fingers fold around the book tightly, to avoid having it taken from him. Akaashi is quick on the uptake, always, because he is quick to change the topic.

 

Akaashi smiles, “Do you need a hand?”

 

“I’ll be just a bit longer,” Kei declines. “It’s not much so you don’t have to help.”

 

Kei has never thought of Kuroo as pitiful, not even at Nationals when their game ended so abruptly but Kei supposes that there’s a first for everything. However, this isn’t something that Kei can tease Kuroo about so he buries it away and keeps it locked up in the place that he hates to access to ensure that he never goes there. The secrets Kei intends to keep are one and the same, so Kei is confident he can hide it well.

 

“We’ll finish up together and have snacks before we head over to Bokuto-san’s place to help him,” Akaashi offers anyway, but strays from Kei’s space to pick up Kuroo’s other books. “There’s cake.”

 

Kei doesn’t even know why he’s proactively helping Kuroo hide this secret, but he’s grateful that Akaashi has never been the type to push. Together, they finish dusting the other books in Kuroo’s collection, before piling them up in the order that Kuroo had them. Once he’s got everything in order, Kei gathers the book in a pile and Akaashi slides the balcony door open so that Kei can carry everything back inside.

 

“Thank you,” Kei says to Akaashi before returning to Kuroo’s shelves.

 

“Oh,” Kuroo follows, reaching over to help with the stack of texts. “Thanks, Tsukki.”

 

There’s a lot Kei can say, a lot that he can tease Kuroo for but the words die on his tongue. It’s the perfect opportunity to return the favour for everything that Kuroo has thrown at him this whole year they’ve lived together but Kei decides to let it go. Amongst all the annoying emotions that Kei feels for Kuroo, respect is one of them.

 

“Shortcake,” Key requests as his payment.

 

Kuroo’s smile widens, “Already got you covered, Tsukki!”

 

It’s not a day for victories so this time, Kei is happy to concede.


	2. Day 2: Massage | Mythology | Movies

Friday nights are labelled movie nights, though it doesn’t always end with a movie. It’s usually a night in because Kei is unsociable. To comprise, Kei agrees to have a schedule. Kei doesn’t know when it came to be, but it’s now a part of his routine.

 

On a good day, there are six of them, including Kozume and Yamaguchi. On a bad day, it’s just Kei and Kuroo. Kei doesn’t know which he likes more. Both ends of the spectrum are torture in his eyes. There are pros and cons of both and Kei remains undecided on which he prefers because it feels like a loss either way.

 

The usual crew for movie night Fridays includes Akaashi and Bokuto. They are closest in terms of proximity but they too sweet for Kei, though it seems like they are just right for Kuroo, who seems content to watch them. Kei can only think of Kuroo as a masochist but if it floats his boat then Kei is happy to leave it. Kei kept quiet on the first occasion, so he decides to uphold his original decision.

 

Tonight, it’s an awkward number of three. Akaashi has a company dinner and Bokuto is here to sulk rather than to watch the movie. Although Kei is unable to escape hearing the whines, Kei can divide his attention by keeping his eyes glued to the screen. Kuroo can comfort Bokuto. There’s no one better at cheering Bokuto up than Akaashi, but Kuroo follows as a close second.

 

Despite his wishes to be at home, Kei keeps a close eye on his phone. Akaashi has been sending him text messages throughout the night, requesting his help because Akaashi knows exactly what Bokuto is like. The only way to put an end to it is to give Bokuto what he wants.

 

“Will you stop it?!” Kei snaps when enough is finally enough.

 

Bokuto’s hiccups come to a halt as he jumps into Kuroo’s arms. Kei looks at the two grown men with disdain—uncertain of what it is that he should be doing in this situation. On both sides, they are friends but if Kei had to choose, he supposes that Akaashi is one that he’d like to keep.

 

“Put on your jackets,” Kei sighs, feeling like he’s guiding children.

 

“Why?” Kuroo looks fearful with Bokuto hugging onto him for dear life. “Are you kicking us out?”

 

Kei wishes he could, but he doesn’t know where Kuroo hides the extra key. Kuroo always manages to make it back inside when Kei isn’t looking in. It will be a waste of his efforts to try because Bokuto and Kuroo are sure to disturb the neighbours just to embarrass Kei.

 

Kei sighs, “No.”

 

“Then why?” Bokuto whispers.

 

“We’re going to go and pick Akaashi-san up,” Kei clicks his tongue. “So hurry up.”

 

“Tsukki!” Bokuto clings onto Kei and sobs. “You’re the best! After Akaashi! And Kuroo!”

 

Kei pats Bokuto on the back lightly before peeling him off. Kei makes no comment on being third because he’d rather not be there at all. Kei tends to be a bystander more than a friend. Either way, Bokuto is delighted and Kuroo seems to be too. Despite knowing what Kei does, Kei still cannot figure Kuroo out. Is he heartbroken or is he not?

 

The two of them are different like that.

 

Kei doesn’t try for the things that are impossible to obtain. Kei is weak. It feels like he’s reverted back to his high school self. There’s no improvement and no matter how many times Yamaguchi corners him, Kei cannot change. This is just one of those things where it feels like the risk isn’t worth it.

 

“Hurry up or we’ll miss him.”

 

Kei intends to lead the way, but the three of them end up walking side by side to take up the whole walkway. Bokuto is hard to get rid of when he wants to be comforted. Bokuto has a death grip on Kei’s right hand and Kuroo’s left and with his strength, he swings them along. How much affection does an owl need?

 

Kei looks down at his hands and gives up. Kei is tempted to look Kuroo’s way to gauge his condition but decides that it is better to ignore his heart and keep his eye focused on the path before them. This is something that Kei can give to Kuroo before it slips away again.

 

“How do you know this is where Akaashi will be?” Kuroo leans across to ask him.

 

“He asked us to come and pick him up,” Kei clicks his tongue. “Now, will you behave, Bokuto-san?”

 

“But why would he tell you and not me?” Bokuto whines.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Kei sighs. “Can you do something about this?”

 

“Just leave him be,” Kuroo laughs, “Bokuto won’t do anything he doesn’t want.”

 

Unable to deal with the whining any longer, Kei picks up his pace and pulls them along. Akaashi had sent him a location and from the indicator on his phone, Akaashi is still there but Kei doesn’t know for how much longer.

 

“Is he here?” Bokuto is restless even when Kei stops.

 

“Yes,” Kei agrees, but tightens his grip on Bokuto’s hand so that he doesn’t fly off the rails. “Just wait. Akaashi-san will be out soon.”

 

Despite Kei’s reassurance, Bokuto remains restless. Kei doesn’t even know why he tries. He knows that Bokuto will remain this way until Akaashi is back by his side. This time, Kuroo takes pity on Kei and extends his help by keeping Bokuto occupied with conversation. Kei is thankful but he will save that for later. For now, he has to keep an eye out for Akaashi.

 

Kei straightens immediately upon spotting Akaashi in the crowd, “Akaashi-san!”

 

Akaashi gives Kei a tiny wave before turning back to his co-workers to excuse himself. Kei nods in return and waits patiently but Akaashi doesn’t even bother to be subtle about it.

 

“There’s my boyfriend,” Akaashi says to get out of the second and third round of drinks. Kei should refute that but Akaashi is making a point. “I’m going to have to leave early.”

 

There are complaints from Akaashi’s co-workers but with Kei standing there, it’s hard to keep Akaashi. Kei is happy to see the plan succeed, but they are looking at the wrong person. Kei is annoyed because here are too many eyes on him. Despite Kei’s good deed, Kuroo is laughing his ass off as Bokuto torments Kei with his glare.

 

“Bokuto-san… you’re annoying.”

 

“Tsukki!” Bokuto grabs onto his collar and shakes him, “How dare you! That’s _my_ boyfriend!”

 

Kei groans as he lifts a hand to catch his flying glasses, but instead, knocks it into Kuroo’s hands instead. Kuroo is still laughing, as he pops Kei’s glasses onto the bridge of his nose. Kei can barely see him, but the blurry image of Kuroo’s content face is enough to earn Kei’s forgiveness.

 

“Bokuto-san, stop it.” Akaashi shakes his head as he joins them.

 

“You’ve betrayed me!” Bokuto accuses dramatically but he doesn’t stop shaking Kei. “Tsukki is getting off lightly with this!”

 

Akaashi rolls his eyes with a sigh. That Kei is a boy and a friend is a sufficient explanation to get Bokuto right back on track. No matter how much Bokuto grows, he remains simple-minded as he had been the day Kei had met him. That is fortunate as it makes it easy to stay in Bokuto’s graces.

 

“I’m dizzy,” Kei mutters, yanking Bokuto’s hands off him.

 

Kuroo is still laughing but he kindly puts Kei’s glasses back on his face, “Ready to go home and resume movie night?”

 

“Yeah!” Bokuto cheers, bumping his fists with Kuroo’s, “You’re the best, bro!”

 

Even when all is right, they take up the whole walkway. Only this time, Kei is shoved into the middle with Akaashi, Bokuto holding onto his beloved and Kuroo separated from Bokuto by Kei. As it’s not hurting anyone, Kei supposes that he too, can have this little bit of something.


	3. Day 3: Neighbours | Neck | Notice Me

Tetsurou is annoyed with Tsukishima but he doesn’t have any reasonable grounds to be. They may not be childhood friends but with all the time they spent together, Tetsurou wishes they could be more comfortable. Lately, it has been going in the opposite direction because Tetsurou is up all night worrying about Tsukishima.

 

“I’m home,” Tsukishima mutters, trudging in at two in the morning.

 

Tetsurou pokes his head out from the kitchen area to welcome Tsukishima back. Tsukishima looks surprised, probably because he wasn’t expecting Tetsurou to be up at this hour. Tetsurou knows that Tsukishima is no longer a child, but he’s been unlike himself, staying out without a word and coming home late.

 

“Isn’t it too early to be up?” Tsukishima quips.

 

Tetsurou snort, “Right back at you.”

 

Unable to retort, Tsukishima clicks his tongue and moves on. Tsukishima shakes off his shoes at the _genkan_ and then stumbles into the kitchen. Out of habit, Tetsurou opens up the fridge and pours Tsukishima a glass of icy water. It is Tsukishima’s habit to chill his body, but one that Tetsurou has gotten to know well enough to be prepared.

 

Tetsurou doesn’t know when it happened but Tsukishima has managed to get to the point where no longer rejects Tetsurou’s affections. Despite the whiff of alcohol coming off him, Tsukishima is steady as he reaches for the cup with both hands. Tetsurou is glad to see that Tsukishima is still sober otherwise someone would have tried to take advantage of him.

 

“Thanks,” Tsukishima whispers, pressing his lips to the rim of the glass.

 

Tetsurou had settled with being that senior, always stuck in Tsukishima’s life. They only had a few brief weeks of training camp and that crushing defeat at Nationals. To Tetsurou, it was a fond memory. Tetsurou believed that it would be a once off, until Tsukishima showed up as his new roommate. It had come as a surprise to both of them, one that Tetsurou welcomed and Tsukishima conceded over time.

 

“You alright?”

 

It had been rare for Tsukishima to turn in so late every night but this has been his routine for the last two weeks. Tetsurou wonders if he’s done something wrong but cannot bring himself to ask, in case the answer is a resounding _yes_. Tsukishima turns his head slightly, but offers no verbal response.

 

“Tsukki,” Tetsurou presses.

 

Tsukishima meets his eyes with a scowl. “Kuroo-san.”

 

Tetsurou intends to hold his gaze, but as always, finds distraction in the beautiful lines of Tsukishima’s body. Tsukishima’s collarbone in particular, is always a sight. His smooth but pale skin makes the black ink painting a crescent moon between at the base of his neck and his collarbone distracting. Today, Tetsurou is left speechless when he sees blotches of red alongside it.

 

“Um,” Tetsurou scratches his cheek nervously, “Your neck…”

 

“My neck—”

 

Tsukishima’s hand flies to shield his collar and his fingers tug shirt up to hide the evidence. Tsukishima’s embarrassment is clear as day. Tetsurou can see it in the pink rises on the apples of his cheeks, but he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t explain it. Tsukishima doesn’t have to explain anything to Tetsurou and the fact that Tsukishima knows that hurts more than it should.

 

“Thanks for the water,” Tsukishima excuses himself immediately. “Goodnight.”

 

And just like that, Tsukishima slips away, to wash up and then to bed. Tetsurou has no means of stopping him. It is expected, but Tetsurou still feels defeated. Tsukishima has been a hard shell to crack. Every time Tetsurou feels like he’s made progress, Tsukishima is quick to trace his steps back. Tetsurou always feels like he’s returned to the first practice match they had together. Tsukishima may have grown into an adult, but there’s not much to be done about his stoic personality.

 

Without much else to do by himself, Tetsurou returns to his room as well. He had been worried for Tsukishima’s safety but now that Tsukishima is home, there’s no need for Tetsurou to stay up all night. Even after the tossing and turning to get comfortable, Tetsurou cannot sleep. He is completely bothered by the fact that Tsukishima had come home so late and with red scattered across his neck.

 

When the lights begin shining through the window, Tetsurou knows that he is doomed. The only person who can help is not here, but Tetsurou seeks him out via the phone anyway. Kenma lets his phone ring and when he determines that Tetsurou is not giving up, picks up with an annoyed grunt. Tetsurou adores his best friend. Even when Kenma finds things troublesome, he always hears Tetsurou out first.

 

“Kenma!” Tetsurou greets, trying for cheer.

 

_“It’s early,”_ Kenma answers blankly, _“Kuro.”_

 

“Why do you never sound happy to hear from me?” Tetsurou complains.

 

There’s silence, but it’s easy to tell when Kenma is judging him. Tetsurou is only slight sorry because he’s having a meltdown.

 

_“Why, you ask…”_ Kenma sighs eventually. _“You’re hopeless Kuroo.”_

 

“Why aren’t you ever supportive?” Tetsurou complains.

 

_“Because that’s not what you need,”_ Kenma answers. _“But what is it this time?”_

 

“I think Tsukki’s—”

 

_“When are you going to stop treating Tsukishima like he’s_ our _first year?”_ Kenma sighs. _“Leave that to the Karasuno alumni.”_

“But—”

 

_“But nothing,”_ Kenma remains firm. _“Do you want him to hate you?”_

 

Tetsurou sulks but it means nothing when Kenma cannot see him. Over the phone, Kenma is more resilient than ever. However, Kenma is kind enough to listen to Tetsurou’s dilemma for another couple of minutes before excusing himself to go back to bed. It is early, so Tetsurou doesn’t try to call again when Kenma hangs up.

 

Two hours later, Tetsurou hasn’t slept a wink but Tsukishima is clattering about energetically in the kitchen. Tetsurou would get up and help but he’s drained and he doesn’t think that he can look at Tsukishima without feeling that ugly feeling he always felt looking at Bokuto and Akaashi. There’s no need for Tetsurou to direct that mean spirited look at Tsukishima.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima knocks on the door. “Are you awake yet?”

 

“One second,” Tetsurou answers.

 

Although Tetsurou would rather catch some sleep to avoid making any drowsy mistakes, he cannot pass up on breakfast with his roommate. They have an alternating schedule and it would be a pity to miss out on Tsukishima’s home cooked meal.

 

“Morning,” Tetsurou greets meekly after he comes out of hiding.

 

“Good morning,” Tsukishima responds, setting down the _miso_. “Woah, you look like shit.”

 

“You say that to me every morning,” Tetsurou groans, slipping into the chair. “Give me something new.”

 

“No really,” Tsukishima repeats, sitting down and beginning his meal. “Did you not sleep at all, Kuroo-san?”

 

“Not well,” Tetsurou lies.

 

The look on Tsukishima’s face tells Tetsurou that he has not managed to fool Tsukishima, but so long as Tsukishima stays silent, Tetsurou can ignore it. Tetsurou beings eating, hoping that it will lift his mood but the meal is bland. He must be getting sick because there’s no way Tsukishima under seasoned.

 

“Is it bad?” Tsukishima asks.

 

“Eh…” Tetsurou blinks, trying to meet Tsukishima’s eyes only to find his eyes glued to Tsukishima’s pale neck. “What?”

 

Tetsurou can feel his eyes straining as he double checks to confirm what he is seeing. There’s no red on him. Tsukishima’s silky smooth skin is now only stained by the moon tattoo staring right back at him. Tetsurou slams his hands on the table and leans in for a closer look. Tsukishima clicks his tongue and shoves Tetsurou’s face out of his personal space.

 

Tsukishima clears his throat, face red again. “It was just Yamaguchi pulling a prank with Yachi’s makeup.”

 

Tetsurou’s smile fights its way onto his face. So that was all it was last night. Tsukishima had been embarrassed over a small prank. The fact that was merely a prank leaves Tetsurou delighted. He doesn’t even need to curse Yamaguchi for nearly giving him a heart attack.

 

“Oh,” Tetsurou drops back into his seat with relief. “And here I thought I’d have to fight someone for you.”

 

Tetsurou does not mean what his words sound like. By fighting for Tsukishima, it’s purely because Tetsurou adores him. Tetsurou hopes that Tsukishima understands. Tetsurou doesn’t want to cause a misunderstanding but it’s hard to, when Tsukishima is doubtful and pessimistic. Despite the time Tetsurou has poured into their friendship, at his worst, Tsukishima is always in disbelief when Tetsurou says that he cares.

 

“For me?” Tsukishima narrows his eyes.

 

“Oh, you know,” Tetsurou panics and shoots himself in the foot. “Because I’m your senior. I don’t want anyone to hurt you.”

 

Tsukishima snorts, clearly unimpressed, “How kind of you.”

 

With Tsukishima using that cold tone, Tetsurou cannot even retort. Quietly, Tsukishima finishes off his meal and cleans up after himself before he leaves for the day. At times like these, Tsukishima stays silent, knowing well how it is capable of hurting Tetsurou. Tetsurou already hates himself as it is. Tetsurou knows that both the things he said were hateful but he can’t figure out which it was that upset Tsukishima more.


	4. Day 4: One Bed | Occupation | Oblivion

Tetsurou stops pacing around the meeting room and finally manages to breathe a sigh of relief. Kai, who had been fidgeting along with him, stops too. They can both rest easy because Tsukishima has always been a great roommate.

 

_“Kuroo-san?”_

 

“Tsukki!” Tetsurou cries. “Are you still at home?”

 

_“Yes…”_ Tsukishima answers and Tetsurou can hear the doubt in his voice. _“What do you want, Kuroo-san?”_

 

“Hey, this is legitimate,” Tetsurou defends, “Can you go into my room and see if you can see a case file lying around?”

 

“Your Senior Partner’s going to kill you for this?” Tsukishima teases because that’s Tetsurou’s response every time. “How many times does this make it?”

 

“Tsukki,” Tetsurou whines.

 

Tsukishima snorts but he doesn’t push it. Although sassy, Tsukishima has never been cruel when things mattered. Tetsurou can hear Tsukishima open the door and begin rummaging through his things. Tsukishima will probably make a mess as revenge, but so long as Tetsurou gets his hands on the case file in time, nothing else matters.

_“I’ve got it,”_ Tsukishima answers. _“Did you need me to drop it off?”_

 

“Please,” Tetsurou sighs with relief. “Would you be able to bring it to the court for me?”

 

Tetsurou knows that Tsukishima had made plans with Yamaguchi but Tsukishima is his best bet. There’s no one else who can get him the file on time. It is probably out of the way for Tsukishima, but he reassures Tetsurou by saying that Yamaguchi would be fine to push back their meeting by an hour or so. It’s Tetsurou’s fault for forgetting the document, but he really hopes that Tsukishima can save him this time. The only thing that Tetsurou can do in hindsight is make it up to them.

 

_“I’ll head out now,”_ Tsukishima agrees. _“I’ll be about thirty minutes, is that alright?”_

 

“Perfect,” Tetsurou smiles but also baits Tsukishima a little, because he wants to see it. “Dress up a little please!”

 

Tsukishima is going to ignore him, with the way that he just hung up. Tetsurou shouldn’t have phrased his request it in that way. He needs Tsukishima to dress appropriately for the court so he shouldn’t have tested his luck. The chances of Tsukishima fucking him over was already high to begin with but now, it’s no longer just chance.

 

“Kuroo…” Kai sighs.

 

“Well, you know me and my stupid mouth,” Tetsurou grins sheepishly.

 

“How could you say that to Tsukishima-kun?” Kai frowns. “Especially when you’re asking for his help?”

 

“Shut up,” Tetsurou hisses. “I couldn’t help myself okay? Tsukki makes me want to tease him all the damn time.”

 

Kai looks disgusted—Tetsurou knows he earned that look—but Kai is hanging around Yaku and Sugawara too much. Kai shows his support by squeezing Tetsurou’s shoulder before handing him more paperwork to check before the hearing. Tetsurou looks at him with disbelief but all Kai does is smile and direct him to the words on the pages. Tetsurou sighs but buries his head into it to forget his earlier blunder.

 

“Your phone,” Kai yells in his ears.

 

Kai picks it up for him and tosses the phone across the table.

 

“Eh!” Tetsurou jumps, reaching out for it. “Ah, hello?”

 

_“I’m here,”_ Tsukishima is definitely scowling.

 

Tetsurou can tell that there are too many people around him. Tetsurou can hear them shuffling about as they pull their paper luggage around to find their way to the right room. Tetsurou doesn’t think that Tsukishima has ever had reason to be at court before, so it must be a foreign place to him.

 

“Oh,” Tetsurou dances around the table to get to the door. “I’m coming, where about are you?”

 

_“At the directory,”_ Tsukishima answers. _“I can find you if you tell me where you are.”_

 

Tsukishima is sweet because he doesn’t want to disrupt Tetsurou’s work, but there’s no need. Tetsurou needs that case file more than anything else.

 

“Already here,” Tetsurou announces, tapping Tsukishima on his shoulder.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima hangs up and turns around with an unhappy expression.

 

Tetsurou can only smile. As requested, Tsukishima had dressed up to fit in with the rest of the crowd. Smart dress is a great look on Tsukishima’s tall and lean figure. Once again, Tetsurou is awed by his beauty and finds the words of gratitude stuck in his throat as they fight over his words of admiration.

 

It’s nothing new, but Tetsurou is surprised all the same. It’s an old suit that Tsukishima has always had in his closet. Tsukishima had only worn it once, for an interview and the success of it, had meant that he never needed to wear it again. Tetsurou had forgotten how stunning he looked in tailored clothing.

 

“Here,” Tsukishima hands over the documents. “That’s all you needed right?”

 

“Uh, yes.” Tetsurou smiles, “Thank you.”

 

“Alright,” Tsukishima scowls, loosening his tie. “I’m going to get out of here. You owe me.”

 

“Strawberry shortcake,” Tetsurou promises. “Thanks again and for suiting up too.”

 

“That’s for the court, not you,” Tsukishima quips.

 

“Aw, Tsukki—”

 

“Wow,” Tetsurou’s opposing lawyer, Minami, interrupts with a long unwarranted whistle. “Is that your office secretary, Kuroo-san?”

 

“Lay off,” Tetsurou hisses as he steps in front of Tsukishima protectively.

 

It doesn’t matter if Tsukishima was offended or not. There’s no way Tetsurou would allow Tsukishima be subject to the likes of Minami—and especially after his detour to help Tetsurou out.

 

“Hey—”

 

Tsukishima tilts his head slightly and sharpens his glare. Tetsurou shivers too but is proud because the savage crow in Tsukishima has always remained, even though he was adamant about leaving it behind with his high school days. Tetsurou knows that Tsukishima is perfectly capable of defending himself, but the age hierarchy continues to get the best of him.

 

“Go kill it,” Tsukishima says to Tetsurou, ignoring Minami completely.

 

Minami flinches and Tetsurou fights back the chuckle. Tetsurou waves and wishes Tsukishima a good time with Yamaguchi, to which Tsukishima rolls his eyes because he always enjoys his best friend’s company. After making sure that Tsukishima has left safely, Tetsurou returns to his meeting room without giving Minami any more of his time. They can face each other in court and Tetsurou will let him have it.

 

“What’s the matter?” Kai tilts his head. “Did you get the case file?”

 

“I did,” Tetsurou grumbles. “It was just Minami being annoying.”

 

“What?” Kai jokes. “Did he hit on Tsukishima-kun?”

 

Tetsurou makes a face and his silence says it all.

 

“Aw man,” Kai responds empathetically. “Let’s get out there and kick his ass for him, alright?”

 

Tetsurou agrees, “Yeah.”

 

That’s the least he could do.


	5. Day 5: Piercings | Pining | Photography

The first thing Kei does when he arrives at the coffee shop is drop his bag onto the table and his head atop of it. Yamaguchi yelps, pulling his mug and saucer aside and sighs in relief when he manages to settle the swirling milk to avoid a spill. At this point, Kei doesn’t care.

 

“Tsukki…” Yamaguchi frowns, folding Kei’s bag up a little so that he can put his mug and saucer back onto the table. “Are you okay?”

 

“I want to move out,” Kei grumbles.

 

“Huh?” Yamaguchi echoes. “Why?”

 

“My roommate,” Kei sighs.

 

Kei hadn’t told anyone yet. In fact, he had lied to Akiteru over the phone and when he got called out on it, hung up because he didn’t want to talk about it.

 

“An asshole?” Yamaguchi questions symphatically.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Kei answers. Yamaguchi stares blankly so Kei repeats. “It’s Kuroo-san.”

 

“What’s wrong with Kuroo-san?” Yamaguchi tilts his head in confusion. “Isn’t it great that it’s someone you know?”

 

Kei grunts in response. Kei doesn’t mind sharing most things with Yamaguchi, but a gut feeling tells him that he will be in more trouble if he does. Starting means that Kei will needs to explain himself and he doesn’t think that he’s ready for it.

 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi chides, giving Kei that karate chop he learnt from Sugawara. “Why are you like this?”

 

“Like what?” Kei glares.

 

Kei doesn’t want to talk about this, even though he’s completely transparent in front of his best friend. It’s just as well because talking about it makes it real and gives Yamaguchi reason to intervene. Kei hates it when other people interrupt his pace. Kei just wants better living arrangements because he had planned to get through university peacefully. There’s no way that Kei would be able to do that, with Kuroo Tetsurou in close proximity.

 

“Like the feelings you have are a divine punishment,” Yamaguchi waves his hands about, as if that will convey everything he wants to say—he’s been too close to Hinata. “It’s normal.”

 

“Yamaguchi,” Kei narrows his eyes, “There are no feelings to speak of.”

 

Yamaguchi snorts. Kei is torn between being proud and being annoyed. Kei is glad that Yamaguchi has come a long way out of his shell but to use it against Kei so easily is another matter. Yamaguchi sounds like Kageyama whenever he’s fighting back. Tsukishima should work on getting his best friend back from those heathens rather than worry over his new roommate.

 

“Pining is unbecoming of you,” Yamaguchi points out. “You’re better than that Tsukki.”

 

It doesn’t feel like a praise so Kei lets it through one ear and out the other. And he is most definitely not pining over Kuroo Tetsurou. Kei admires him sure, because he was an inspiring but Kei wanted to leave it at that. Kei knew that there was a possibility that he may bump into Kuroo when attending university in Tokyo but he didn’t think that he would meet Kuroo head on and then fall into living arrangements with him.

 

“It’s okay,” Yamaguchi pats his shoulder. “Thought I am surprised that you of all people—”

 

Kei narrows his eyes, “Don’t you finish that sentence.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with having feelings,” Yamaguchi insists and it makes Kei wonder _when_ and _how_ Yamaguchi figured when Kei had been pretty clueless until three days ago. “And you’ve always had them. Your dislike is generally intense so I get that this is foreign.”

 

“What is _this_?” Kei hisses.

 

Yamaguchi shrugs, “Your feelings on cohabitation with Kuroo-san?”

 

Kei ignores all the emphasis that Yamaguchi puts on this question as well as all the implications that exist behind the things he didn’t say, such as the reference to Kuroo, who is not just Kei’s roommate but also someone _whom Kei has feelings for_.

 

“Yes, why is it Kuroo-san?” Kei repeats, passing it off as a matter of cohabitation. “It could have been anyone!”

 

Yamaguchi opens his mouth and closes it again. Now, Yamaguchi cannot be certain if Kei is talking about the roommate issue or the feeling issue. That works out, but Kei is vexed all the same. Kei buries his head into his arms and hopes to disappear. It’s only been three days, but the hell that Kei is subjected to, only grows worse with each passing minute. Kuroo dotes on him because of their cursed seniority system and it’s bad for his heart.

 

“I want to move out…” Kei mutters to himself.

 

“Why would you do that?” Yamaguchi frowns. “This is your chance, you know!”

 

“Yamaguchi,” Kei mirrors the expression, only with more disdain. “Shut up.”

 

The two of them are fundamentally different. Chance is such a fleeting thing and Kei’s not the type to bet on it.


	6. Day 6: Quests | Quirks | Free Prompt

Having Tsukishima around was never going to be a permanent arrangement so Tetsurou was sure that he could manage. However, it’s only been two days without him but Tetsurou cannot stand the emptiness. Although Tsukishima was quiet, he had a presence that filled Tetsurou with joy. Now, Tsukishima’s absence is filled with the mess that Tetsurou had made along with his mistake. Since Tsukishima left, Tetsurou hasn’t managed to clean. Tetsurou needs a firm reminder not to turn to alcohol for anything, especially when he is left alone with Tsukishima. Tetsurou knows that he needs to fix this but he doesn’t know where to start.

 

“Ah, fuck it,” Tetsurou curses, banging his head on the kitchen table.

 

Tetsurou has tried calling everyone who knows Tsukishima but has had no luck in locating him. No one ever knows where Tsukishima is. Yamaguchi, who is the exception, is set on keeping his silence. All Tetsurou can do is hope that Tsukishima cares enough about his deposit to come home for it. Tsukishima gave in pretty quickly last time and it’s already been two whole days, so Tetsurou is sure that it’s Tsukishima at the door when the bell rings.

 

“Tsukki?!” Tetsurou exclaims, yanking the door open only to stub his foot against the door. “Fuck!”

 

“Kuro,” Kenma greets him instead. “You’re energetic.”

 

“Kenma?” Tetsurou looks up, tears of pain filling his eyes.

 

“I take that back,” Kenma makes a face, “You look like shit.”

 

“I do not,” Tetsurou responds defensively.

 

“Yeah,” Kenma snorts. “And neither did you fuck up.”

 

Kenma’s voice is dripping with sarcasm, which is rare for him. Tetsurou knows that he did but hearing it from his best friend is a painful confirmation. Kenma scrutinises him the way he did with their volleyball opponents in high school and Tetsurou can only look away, ashamed of himself.

 

“Yeah,” Tetsurou nods. “Yeah, I fucked up.”

 

Before Tetsurou knows it, he’s got his hands folded over his knees as he kneels. The silence that sits between them is sharp enough to kill. Kenma is doing it on purpose and Tetsurou resigns himself to suffer it because he knows that he deserves it.

 

“Kai called me,” Kenma speaks up, “You called in sick?”

 

“Yeah,” Tetsurou repeats.

 

Kenma scrunches his nose and then gestures to the mess of the apartment with disapproval. The empty bottles of sake and cans of cheap beer still litter the kitchen area. The rest of the apartment is a general mess because Tetsurou had stumbled over things when he got into an argument with Tsukishima. Neither of them were listening to each other but Tetsurou remembers Tsukishima saying his piece and then leaving.

 

Tetsurou sighs, “I know.”

 

“C’mon,” Kenma tugs him onto his feet. “We need to clean this mess up.”

 

“Kenma…” Tetsurou whines—he doesn’t really want to, not right now. “I—”

 

“I know where he is,” Kenma baits him.

 

Now, it hits him that Kenma already knew and didn’t want a regurgitation of the problem. Tetsurou doesn’t care how Kenma found out. If Tetsurou can get the cleaning done, then Kenma will be a dear friend and give him the way to fix this. Having an incentive gets Tetsurou on his feet and cleaning at a speed he’s never done before. Kenma doesn’t have to do much at all.

 

“So?” Tetsurou presses as he ties the last trash bag. “Where can I find him?”

 

“What about your room?” Kenma raises an eyebrow.

 

“Uh…” Tetsurou glances away, guilty.

 

Kenma shakes his head and walks right towards his room. Tetsurou drops everything and runs after him, but Kenma swings the door open like it is his own. Tetsurou’s room is always a mess but it is worst now because he has been trying to work and failing. Instead of organised and completed files, Tetsurou has piles of unhappy drafts littered across all the surfaces of his room.

 

“C’mon,” Kenma encourages. “The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can go.”

 

“Urgh,” Tetsurou sobs, sliding over to gather his papers.

 

Tetsurou spends hours sorting through the documents. Although Tetsurou knows that there are mostly drafts, he knows that there are official documents too. It is up to Tetsurou to skim through them and make sure that he doesn’t throw out the originals. The process is tedious but by the time he is done, Tetsurou can see the floor and his shelves. In the refreshing space, Tetsurou feels like he can finally breathe again.

 

Kenma respects Tetsurou’s duty of confidentiality, only comes back once he’s finished running the wash and hanging Tetsurou’s clothes to dry. All Tetsurou has to do now is wait for Kenma’s seal of approval. Kenma makes a slow round of Tetsurou’s room, checking for imperfections. Tetsurou is hopeful because Kenma looks impressed but that is only until he gets to the book shelf.

 

“You’ve still got this, Kuro?” Kenma questions, waving _The Tale of Genji_ in his face.

 

Tetsurou nods, “I kept texts from high school because I spent a lot of time annotating it. It could come in handy, you know?”

 

Kenma hums, flipping through the pages, “Your love letter as well?”

 

“Eh?” Tetsurou gasps, staring at the offending text.

 

“Here,” Kenma flips the book open, picks up the enclosed letter and waves it for Tetsurou to see. “Damning evidence.”

 

“I forgot about it,” Tetsurou lies, “And it is neither damning nor evidence.”

 

Despite what he says, Tetsurou yanks the letter out of Kenma’s hand and presses the letter back into its place, between the pages where his favourite passage sits. Kenma says nothing, only gives him a withered look. Tetsurou _knows_ already, but he can’t help the sentimental part of him. It was a dear memory of his youth.

 

“You need to apologise,” Kenma states firmly.

 

“I know that,” Tetsurou grits his teeth.

 

Kenma lets go of that cryptic look on his face with a heavy sigh. Tetsurou does not even have to ask for what he had been promised. Kenma is quick to give it away, having had enough of Tetsurou’s whims already.

 

“I’ll house sit for you,” Kenma concedes, “Tsukishima is in Sendai.”

 

Tetsurou squishes his best friend in a hug, “Thank you!”

 

“Alright,” Kenma squirms his way out of Tetsurou’s grip and shoves him out the door with his phone, wallet and a jacket. “Get going already.”

 

Tetsurou has more pressing matters at hand so he makes a mental reminder to treat Kenma to a new game when he comes back. Slipping into his jacket, Tetsurou dashes for the station only to stop halfway, having noticed the quiet and empty streets. It seems Kenma was set on punishing him. Confirming the time on his phone, Tetsurou sighs in defeat. The last train for Sendai is long gone. Tetsurou have to wait for sunrise and he will have do so outside because Kenma has conveniently forgotten to give him his keys.


	7. Day 7: Ring | Rivalry | Roommate

Tetsurou is long pass the stage of persuasion, because he knows that no matter what he does, there is no keeping Kenma. Kenma has already decided that he needs to move out and his decision is final. Kenma’s new place is ideal because it close to his workplace and it means that Kenma is free to be himself. Even though Tetsurou knows that this is the best course of action for Kenma, Tetsurou still finds the change unpleasant.

 

“Kenma,” Tetsurou whines just for the sake of it.

 

“Kuro,” Kenma frowns, “You’re annoying.”

 

“But you’re leaving me,” Tetsurou sobs. “I can’t deal with this.”

 

“I can’t deal with _you_ ,” Kenma narrows his eyes. “God knows how your new roommate will live.”

 

“That’s mean!” Tetsurou protests, “You of all people should know how pleasant I am!”

 

Kenma makes a face, full of disgust and judgment. Tetsurou knows that Kenma’s reaction is warranted, but he feigns hurt anyway. Kenma never gives a shit, having known Tetsurou so long that he calls drama when he sees it.

 

“Whether you’re pleasant or not is for your roommate to decide,” Kenma says.

 

Unfortunately for Tetsurou, his new roommate has already been decided. The week after Kenma moves out, his new roommate is due to move in. Tetsurou’s new roommate is a freshman student but other than that, Tetsurou doesn’t know what to expect. The text messages that they have exchanged have been minimal. The first year’s responses were lacking in every aspect. The landlady has not been of much help.

 

“Well, be yourself,” Kenma shrugs, because he knows that Tetsurou won’t change.

 

“Kenma,” Tetsurou pouts.

 

Kenma shakes his head, “Are you going to help me move or are you just going to whine?”

 

“Only if you’re moving back in,” Tetsurou counter-offers, looking at the boxes ready to be unpacked.

 

“I’ll just call Lev,” Kenma decides, pulling out his phone.

 

“Just kidding!” Tetsurou interjects immediately. He doesn’t want to see Lev laughing at his misery. “I’ll help.”

 

 

 

 

 

To welcome his roommate, Tetsurou does a quick clean of the entire apartment. Tetsurou knows that a good first impression will make his year easier. Contrary to popular belief, Tetsurou is not much of an asshole. He’s looking for a peaceful year. Overall, Tetsurou is excited to have someone else join him in the apartment. It’s been a lonely week without Kenma and Tetsurou is hoping for some likeable to fill the space. Having someone that is easy to tease would be nice too. It’ll give Tetsurou something to look forward to.

 

When their arranged meeting time comes near, Tetsurou grows restless. Despite everything that Tetsurou is, he still gets nervous. The nerves before always get to him but once Tetsurou is faced with the situation, the adrenalin gives him a boost of courage. Only facing the situation will set him at ease, so Tetsurou paces around impatiently until there is a light knock on the door.

 

“Coming!” Tetsurou jumps.

 

Tetsurou hates that he seems eager, but the quicker he gets this done, the better it is for him so he yanks the door open with a warm smile. Although self-conscious, Tetsurou had fought the urge to fix his appearance. Tetsurou is right at home so there’s no need to come off as pretentious. And it’s not like Tetsurou can do anything about his hair.

 

“Eh?” Tetsurou is pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face at the door.

 

Despite their acquaintance, Tsukishima looks sour, “Kuroo-san…”

 

Tetsurou had been expecting a total stranger, so opening the door for Tsukishima is a happy turn of events. For a moment, Tetsurou questions his luck but the luggage and boxes that are sitting by Tsukishima’s feet are firm confirmations. There’s a pastry box nearby too, no doubt a gift that Tsukishima’s bought for his new roommate. Tetsurou is going to have a great year.

 

“So you’re my new roommate?” Tetsurou beams. “That’s great, Tsukki!”

 

“I think I have the wrong room,” Tsukishima clears his throat, takes a few steps back and looks to his surroundings. “This is…”

 

“One hundred and four?” Tetsurou grins.

 

When Tsukishima turns back to Tetsurou defeated, Tetsurou can only grin. This is more than great. In fact, it’s fantastic that luck is on Tetsurou’s side. Although it’s not Kenma, Tsukishima is not a complete stranger. Tetsurou knows Tsukishima well enough to be able to stay comfortable in his space.

 

“So?” Tetsurou teases.

 

“Tch,” Tsukishima clicks his tongue, sourly. “Kuroo-san.”

 

Tetsurou crosses his arms, “That’s rude, Tsukki.”

 

Instead of responding, Tsukishima turns away and goes through a lengthy thinking process. Tetsurou is sure that Tsukishima’s options are limited but, what matters is how much he dislikes Tetsurou.

 

“I’ll leave after all,” Tsukishima mumbles to himself as he reaches for his phone.

 

“Woah, woah,” Tetsurou raises his voice and makes a scene. There’s no way Tetsurou will score a better roommate than Tsukishima. “You wound me, Tsukishima!”

 

Tsukishima narrows his eyes, still tossing up his options. No matter what Tetsurou has to do, he knows that he has to keep Tsukishima around. Tetsurou cannot afford to live through another week or two of anxiety regarding who he’s new roommate will be. Now that Tetsurou knows that Tsukishima is his to keep, there’s no way he would downgrade. Tetsurou, master of provocation, has to step up his game, but Hinata’s not around for him to use as bait.

 

“You’ll be walking out empty handed,” Tetsurou opts for the next best thing that comes to mind. Tetsurou remembers being pretty mortified when the landlady had informed him of this fact but he had gone with it, given how cheap the rent is. “Aizawa-san has a no refund policy on deposits.”

 

Tsukishima looks incredibly put off, but he’s also Tsukishima so it’s no surprise that after a moment of deep thought, he turns to Tetsurou with a look. It’s not quiet determination, but it is a challenge. Tetsurou is familiar with that look and suddenly, having Tsukishima around to annoy isn’t so bad after all.

 

“Or it’ll be you,” Tsukishima challenges, as if he’s certain that Tetsurou can’t deal with him.

 

Tetsurou bursts out laughing, “Game on.”


	8. Day 8: Stargazing | Soulmate | Scars

As expected, Tsukishima’s hands are calloused. Tsukishima still plays volleyball and though it is only with his brother, it’s nice to know that they have managed to make a difference in him. It doesn’t matter that Tsukishima never went pro. Playing volleyball does not offer Tsukishima the stability he is looking for but the fact that Tsukishima can still look fondly on volleyball is the true victory.

 

“Why do you keep doing that?” Tsukishima complains.

 

Tsukishima has his left hand on a book and his right sits in Tetsurou’s palms. Tetsurou has difficulty staying still for long durations but the only time Tetsurou is able to give Tsukishima physical affection is when Tsukishima sits down to read. Lately, Tetsurou has taken to fiddling with Tsukishima’s hands to entertain himself while Tsukishima is trying to concentrate so Tetsurou supposes that he’s being annoying right now.

 

“Tsukki,” Tetsurou running his fingers across Tsukishima’s palm. “This—”

 

Tsukishima hisses and clenches his fist together to hide the scar that sits between his pinky and fourth finger. Tetsurou tenses up but Tsukishima’s not as protective over it as Tetsurou had been lead to believe. Giving Tsukishima a moment reveals that Tsukishima’s reaction had been instinctual. In just a few seconds, Tsukishima relaxes his shoulders and lets his fingers loose. It must be a phantom pain. Tetsurou had taken him by surprise.

 

“Sorry,” Tetsurou whispers.

 

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima peels his hand away to flip the page. “It’s from the match against Shiratorizawa.”

 

Now it makes sense. Tetsurou never had the chance to watch the match live and even when Tetsurou watched the recording it wasn’t clear how substantial the damage had been. Seeing how well Tsukishima fought at Nationals, Tetsurou had been convinced that the injury was minor. It’s a pity to admit it, but at that time, Tsukishima had not been on Tetsurou’s mind. After all, Nekoma was preparing for Nationals and when Karasuno came out on top, Tetsurou retired from the club and focused on getting into the university of his choice.

 

“I remember,” Tetsurou acknowledges, linking his fingers with Tsukishima’s. “Good work on that.”

 

“That,” Tsukishima pulls away and waves his hand dismissively. “Was over six years ago, Kuroo-san.”

 

“Still,” Tetsurou insists, pressing his lips to Tsukishima’s skin. “You shouldn’t disregard your efforts and your growth.”

 

The scar is a permanent reminder of Tsukishima’s hard work. Tetsurou knows that it is over but that doesn’t mean that it’s something to be forgotten. Despite once thinking that his efforts could change nothing, Tsukishima had been courageous to fight back. It’s a major improvement that Tetsurou wants to continue nurturing.

 

Tsukishima clicks his tongue to hide his embarrassment, “You’re noisy.”

 

“Oh?” Tetsurou can’t help but tease. “Are you getting shy, Tsukki?”

 

Tsukishima intentionally jabs Tetsurou’s rib as he shuffles in his seat. Tsukishima’s revenge is petty but Tetsurou finds it amusing nonetheless. At least, he’s not moving away like he would have done a while back. Tetsurou is happy to count this as progress.

 

“Also, annoying,” Tsukishima adds, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

 

“You love me,” Tetsurou laughs.

 

“You wish,” Tsukishima snorts.

 

“I do,” Tetsurou admits with a wide smile pressed to the back of Tsukishima’s nape, throwing him off his game. “Are you granting it for me?”

 

Perhaps, this time Tetsurou has pushed him too far. Although Tsukishima is not rough with his movements, he does snap his book to a close and promptly stands. Tetsurou allows Tsukishima to have the space. Tetsurou is content enough to see the flush of pink on Tsukishima’s cheeks, which indicate that he is not as composed as he makes himself out to be.

 

“You’re shameless too,” Tsukishima declares before returning to the safe haven of his room.


	9. Day 9: Trapped | Tattoos | Temptation

Kai had been contemplative when Tetsurou decided to celebrate victory with alcohol. Despite Tetsurou’s resolve in kicking Minami’s ass, it hadn’t gone down as smoothly as Tetsurou had hoped. Still, it ended in his client’s victory and a sweet revenge for Tsukishima, so Tetsurou had wanted to go and celebrate. Kai had cut Tetsurou’s celebrations short by dragging him home.

 

Tetsurou makes a fuss at the door. “Tsukki!”

 

Kai pulls Tetsurou to his feet and chides him, telling Tetsurou to behave. Tetsurou should, since he has a proud announcement to make but he’s too giddy. Hopefully the good news makes Tsukishima’s day, but Tetsurou may have overestimated himself because his head is spinning and he can’t stand straight, let alone form a proper sentence.

 

“Tsukki,” Tetsurou knocks violently.

 

“Kuroo, just stop,” Kai sighs, trying to keep Tetsurou’s mouth shut with force. “You’ll disturb your neighbours.”

 

Tetsurou makes a fuss at the door and fights Kai on it just for the sake of it. It creates even more of a ruckus and Kai tries to rein him in with reason, but it is Tsukishima who manages to stop him.

 

“What the hell…?” Tsukishima scrunches his nose together as he yanks the door open. “You’re annoying.”

 

“That’s because you’re slow!” Tetsurou complains, but he’s all smiles anyway. “I’m home.”

 

Tsukishima scowls, clearly judging Tetsurou’s decision to drink and his decision to return home in such a state. Tsukishima’s always shown his distaste clearly, so Tetsurou is rarely hurt by it. Tetsurou knows that Tsukishima is soft at his core. Tsukishima is very aware of when he can be cruel and with Tetsurou, that’s everyday.

 

“Disgusting,” Tsukishima complains but makes way.

 

“Ah, my apologies Tsukishima-kun,” Kai says evenly. “Kuroo insisted on celebrating.”

 

“I take it that he won,” Tsukishima notes. “But really? Alcohol? Don’t you two have a meeting with your firm’s senior partner tomorrow morning?”

 

There’s a look that Tsukishima exchanges with Kai, which conveys everything that he wants to say about that. It’s been a long time, so even Tetsurou’s friends can manage a wordless conversation with Tsukishima. It doesn’t come easy, but it’s not a difficult task to manage when Tsukishima is being transparent with his unhappiness. That much has always been true of him.

 

“I tried…” Kai answers apologetically. “He’s very pleased with himself for defending your honour.”

 

Tsukishima snorts, “That’s none of his business.”

 

“So cold,” Tetsurou sobs from where he’s slouched over the kitchen table.

 

Tsukishima is about to offer water, but Kai shakes his head gently to decline. This is a polite exchange that happens every time. No one ever stays and imposes themselves on Tsukishima. Tetsurou has made sure of that because he knows how uncomfortable Tsukishima is around others. Tsukishima will tolerate it if he _must_ , but Tetsurou has made sure that it doesn’t happen without Tsukishima’s consent first.

 

“Thanks but I better be off,” Kai interjects quickly. “I don’t want to be here when he’s having a breakdown over you.”

 

Tetsurou barely registers Kai’s words, but Tsukishima makes another face of disgust and that hurts. Something about that reaction to his affection hits deeper than Tetsurou would like. Kai registers that too and quickly apologies for it. Tsukishima simply shakes his head and walks towards the hallway with Kai.

 

“Thank you,” Tsukishima says on Tetsurou’s behalf and sees Kai out.

 

By the time Tsukishima gets back, Tetsurou has already popped another can of beer open. Kai forced him to go home so Tetsurou has only had one round of celebrations. It doesn’t really matter anymore now that Tsukishima is here. Tetsurou is happy to have the second round of celebrations with Tsukishima.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima frowns, pulling the can of beer away from him. “You’re already home, stop drinking.”

 

“Shh,” Tetsurou waves dismissively. “I’m an adult!”

 

“That you are…” Tsukishima clicks his tongue. “Know your limits.”

 

“Got it,” Tetsurou promises with a wink and yanks the can of beer back. “Join me.”

 

Tsukishima gives him a look, but yields eventually. The decision to babysit must come easy to him. Although Tsukishima was never captain of Karasuno, he got close enough. Tetsurou should be ashamed because he once was and still is, captain of a team, but having Tsukishima’s company is nice. Rarely does Tsukishima indulge him so Tetsurou will take what he can get.

 

Tsukishima is being kind today because he knows better than anyone else that there’s no victory that doesn’t come with wounds or setbacks. Only now, does Tetsurou feel the fatigue seep into his bones. The preparations for the case had caused him turmoil and when Tetsurou stood before the court, he had hated Minami for the words that he had said to Tsukishima. That shouldn’t have been the focus of the court, but Tetsurou had wanted the opposition pinned for his vulgar behaviour and that was inappropriate of him as a lawyer.

 

“I’ll make tea,” Tsukishima sighs.

 

It will help with Tetsurou’s headache in the morning. Tsukishima can be kind, but this time, it’s for his own benefit. Tsukishima doesn’t want to hear Tetsurou whining and complaining first thing in the morning. Knowing that spoils his mood but Tetsurou cannot complain. Tsukishima is still stingy with affection.

 

“How sweet of you,” Tetsurou teases.

 

As always, with the unwarranted comments, Tsukishima stumbles in his steps. Tetsurou regrets it immediately. He jumps to his feet and rushes over to the kitchen counter to make sure that Tsukishima has not burnt himself. Tetsurou grabs Tsukishima’s hands to check and Tsukishima clicks his tongue before pulling his hands out of Tetsurou’s grasp.

 

“I’m fine,” Tsukishima says gingerly.

 

“No,” Tetsurou shakes his head, pulling Tsukishima out of the kitchen space. “I’ll be fine without, I promise.”

 

Tetsurou’s always kept true to his promises and that’s why, after a long gauging look, Tsukishima lets it go. Once again, it is for Tsukishima’s convenience but Tetsurou knows what needs to be done to keep Tsukishima by him.

 

“Time for bed then,” Tsukishima offers to help Tetsurou to his room. “You’re being even worse than usual.”

 

Even with the offer, there is a limit to Tsukishima’s gentleness. Instead of walking Tetsurou along, Tsukishima drags him across the hallway and tosses him onto the mattress. Having anticipated that much, Tetsurou uses the bounce of the mattress to his advantage and takes hold of Tsukishima’s arm, pulling him down as well.

 

Tetsurou bursts into giggles, “Serves you right!”

 

“Urgh,” Tsukishima grunts as he pushes himself up on his elbows. Due to the force of the pull, Tsukishima’s glasses are askew on his nose and his cheeks are dusty pink. “Kuroo-san—”

 

Tetsurou’s heart aches at the sight of Tsukishima—dishevelled but also unguarded. Tsukishima is pretty, always, but he is unapproachable. It’s a different story now. Tsukishima is annoyed, but he’s also forgiving of Tetsurou’s state. It gives Tetsurou the courage to slither his hand from Tsukishima’s arm to the back of his neck and pull him forward for a gentle press of lips.

 

It’s not the first time Tetsurou has wanted to kiss Tsukishima, but he has always held back due to the fear of the pain inducing retaliation that would follow. Unfortunately, it was not an unfounded fear. The punch that Tsukishima lands on Tetsurou’s jaw hurts but it is not sobering enough. Instead, Tetsurou feels defiant as he whips his head back around to glare. The audacity of an underclassman to throw a punch and make it hurt. Tetsurou is sure that he tastes blood.

 

“The fuck,” Tetsurou rubs his cheeks. “Did you have to hit me that hard? It’s just a kiss!”

 

Tsukishima’s expression rarely changes from one of indifference but for once, he looks disappointed. Tetsurou has seen this expression before but never has it been directed at him. It hurts more than Tetsurou thought possible because Tsukishima had expectations and boundaries. They are the ones that Tsukishima had set for him and Tetsurou has just crossed them.

 

“Tsukki—”

 

“Don’t call me,” Tsukishima retorts, pulling away.

 

Fear grips his heart and Tetsurou advances the steps that Tsukishima takes away. It’s normal for Tsukishima to gripe about the way that Tetsurou calls him but it’s the first time Tsukishima has injected such venom into his words. It scares him so much that Tetsurou has to cross the boundaries again to pull Tsukishima back and ensure that he stays.

 

“Tsukishima—”

 

Tsukishima turns away from him and closes his eyes defiantly. It seems, Tsukishima cannot take that form of address either. Tetsurou has fucked up royally.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Tsukishima hisses at him, pulling his wrist out of Tetsurou’s grip. “ _You’re_ hurting me.”

 

Tetsurou sobers immediately, forcing his fingers loose as his heart break. Tetsurou never wanted anyone to hurt Tsukishima, not anymore than Tsukishima had already been (whether it was self-inflicted or not) and yet, he here was. That’s why Tetsurou cannot chase after Tsukishima’s fading footsteps.


	10. Day 10: University | Umbrella | Uniform

“Kuroo-san,” Kei acknowledges because he would like Kuroo to stop trying to catch his attention. “What do you want?”

 

“Share your umbrella with me,” Kuroo grins. “I rushed out here to get something—didn’t think it’d rain.”

 

Kei glares at Kuroo and then at the rain pouring outside the convenience store windows. Kei understands Kuroo’s problem but he also knows that this is a terrible idea. To this day, Kei has made it a rule to keep a good distance from Kuroo and sharing an umbrella would defeat the purpose of that rule. There’s nothing wrong with breaking conventions seeing as Kei is a Karasuno alumni, but this has consequences Kei is not ready to face.

 

“No,” Kei denies, turning away.

 

Kei is already annoyed and he doesn’t need Kuroo being up in his space. Kei had been stuck in the research lab all day and it had been a painful process to reach their desired end. He didn’t have much time and couldn’t make it to his favourite strawberry shortcake shop so now he has to settle for convenience store pudding. Pudding is nice too but Kei had been planning to reward himself, so having Kuroo’s company would make it a punishment.

 

“Eh,” Kuroo whines, “Tsukki!”

 

Kuroo has to be stopped so Kei ignores him and shuffles out when he finishes paying. Kei has barely just fought off Kuroo trying to ring their things up together. Kei opts for quick strides but it’s a miscalculation because Kuroo chases him through the rain and shoves himself under the umbrella and into Kei’s space.

 

“Thanks, Tsukki!” Kuroo grins as he squeezes in.

 

Kei heaves another long sigh and gives up trying to fight Kuroo under such terrible conditions. He doesn’t want to get soaked by rain. Kuroo is not as bright as Hinata, but his positivity is equally draining to fight off. Having won the space by Kei’s side, Kuroo proceeds to get comfortable, telling Kei about his day. Kei has to zone out because Kuroo does not know how to deal with silence.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Kei sighs and stops in his step to turn to face Kuroo, “Isn’t the rain noisy enough?”

 

“That’s not what you’ve said before,” Kuroo quips instead. “It’s calming, isn’t it?”

 

Kei rolls his eyes and Kuroo knows that he’s won this one too. Kei cannot deny that notion—since he made that statement first. However, Kei has a protest on the tip of his tongue that dies when he spots two familiar faces being affectionate across the road.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Kei clears his throat and tugs the umbrella down.

 

“Eh—”

 

Kei is even taller, so the metal wires hit his head as well, but that’s important right now. What’s important is that Kei doesn’t understand himself. There is no duty or obligation on Kei to protect Kuroo’s heart, so why is his body moving on its own?

 

“Tsukki?” Kuroo attempts to look around and that only makes Kei tighten his grip. “What’s this for? My hair—”

 

“You—” Kei can’t even come up with an excuse.

 

Kei isn’t sure what it is that he’s supposed to say in situations like these. Usually, Kei doesn’t get himself into such dire circumstances, but today is an exception. It’s not that Kei thinks that Kuroo is in need of protection—that’s far from it, but Kei’s heart had moved him anyway.

 

“Why not?” Bokuto whines loudly and destroys all of Kei’s efforts in keeping them out of Kuroo’s view. “Look at them! And in broad daylight too! Why can’t—”

 

“They’re hidden by rain, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi answers simply. “And don’t be so quick to judge.”

 

Kei falls to silence and to his defeat. Usually, Kei’s silence comes as a choice, but this time, he has been rendered silent. Saying anything now would consolidate this defeat. Kei really does hate to lose—he’s a poor sport for viciously wishing Bokuto-san ill will.

 

“Well, aren’t you considerate?” Kuroo grins, grabbing onto the handle and lifting it to a more comfortable height.

 

Kei can’t find it in him to match Kuroo’s growing smirk. Even that, hurts Kei, so he doesn’t know how Kuroo is managing to get by with both Akaashi and Bokuto as some of his closest friends. Kuroo must be made out of steel. Kei opens his mouth to say something, maybe even snap about the rain soaking his shoulder, but the words clog his throat. Kei knows that if he doesn’t say anything now the effort he put in to keeping the secret will all go to waste but the words just refuse to form.

 

“Tsukki…” Kuroo’s smirk is easily broken by realisation. “You _know_.”

 

Instantly, Kei knows that he has failed to stay stoic and keep his expression impartial. Kei had wanted to pretend for all his life. After all, this is Kuroo’s secret but Kei cannot lie.

 

Kei sighs in defeat, “Yeah.”

 

Kei expects Kuroo to be angry—Kei would be—but Kuroo looks relieved, like the burden is finally off his shoulders. In this moment, Kei doesn’t understand human emotions as much as he thinks he does. Instead of anything that he expects, Kuroo heaves a long fulfilling sigh and throws his arms around Kei’s shoulder and buries his face into Kei’s neck.

 

“What are you—” Kei yelps, trying to catch the umbrella. “Hey!”

 

“See!” Bokuto hollers from across the street. “I was right, Akaashi!”

 

Akaashi reprimands Bokuto quietly and drags him away against his will. Kei can hear them clearly, so Kuroo must too.

 

“Just a minute,” Kuroo pleads and tightens his grip to stop Kei from struggling against him. “Just one, Tsukki.”

 

Kei’s snark is on the tip of his tongue. If Kuroo wanted to hide his tears, the rain will do just that. It’s just a few words and it wouldn’t take much for Kei to spit them out, but with the weight of Kuroo’s heart on his, the words are impossible to say.


	11. Day 11: Vampire | Vacation | Volleyball

It’s become rare for Kei to think about his position in volleyball but it’s been an irritating thought as of late. Kei always adored the feint because the pleasure of catching someone off guard was unmeasured but right now, Kei wishes he had the ability to spike and hit where it hurts most.

 

“Kei?”

 

Akiteru always sounds concerned when it comes to Kei but Kei is no longer a child that needs constant supervision but no matter what Kei says he can never win. To Akiteru, Kei will always be a baby brother that needs Akiteru’s affection and protection.

 

“ _Nii-chan_ ,” Kei growls, “Stop looking at me like that.”

 

“You’re giving me reason to,” Akiteru answers gently, smiling because Kei still hasn’t outgrown the soft _nii-chan_.

 

Kei makes another face, which only severs to prove Akiteru’s point. Aside from his parents, Kei is the most comfortable around his brother. That’s why it’s hard for Kei to hide anything against family.

 

Akiteru is quick to justify, “Slamming the ball like that. It’s not like you.”

 

“Not like me?” Kei snorts because even Kei doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be like.

 

“No finesses whatsoever,” Akiteru jokes.

 

Kei clicks his tongue at the jest and continues as he was, getting in position to resume the game. Akiteru still plays volleyball and Kei is intruding once again. The rage that Kei feels is more intense than he is used to and volleyball is the only way Kei can get rid of it. It must be strange but the setter complies with Kei’s whims, giving him the tosses that he calls for. It’s a rough game, but they do end up taking back the second set.

 

“Aren’t you doing good, Tsukki?”

 

Kei clicks his tongue and turns away and glues his mouth to the bottle of water. Kei holds back on the sigh that is threatening to erupt from his chest. The one person Kei did not want to see has appeared. Hinata and his extreme positivity must have something to do with this.

 

“Tsukki?”

 

Kei is set on ignoring Kuroo but with Akiteru present, it’s hard to do so. Akiteru is giving Kei that look, the disappointed one and Kei knows exactly what he wants to convey. Their parents did not teach them to be this way but Kei is sure that they would agree that what Kuroo has done warrants the silence. However, as much as Kei is pissed off, he doesn’t actually want Kuroo to die. Kei loathes himself for even feeling that way.

 

“What are you doing here, Kuroo-san?” Kei questions, fixing Kuroo with an intense gaze.

 

“What…?” Kuroo says fondly. “I’ve come to pick you up.”

 

Kuroo looks fine and acts like it too but Kei knows better than to go with Kuroo’s flow, knows better than to forget and forgive. It’s not like him to. Allowing people to get off easily is not Kei’s style. Kei doesn’t need to give Kuroo anymore power over him.

 

“Kei,” Akiteru chides. “Watch your face.”

 

Kei turns around to glare at Akiteru. Kei knows that he was going sour but Akiteru hadn’t even tried to be subtle. Sometimes, it makes Kei wonder if he should have been a better younger brother to Akiteru.

 

“You didn’t need to,” Kei pinches his nose and wills away the annoyance, “I’m not a child. I can find my way back.”

 

“I have no doubt,” Kuroo tries for a smile, “I was just afraid that you wouldn’t come home.”

 

Kei clenches his jaw together to avoid letting the mean words escape from his chest. They will hurt because this time, Kei will mean every word that he says but Kei cannot act on anger. There are better ways to deal with it. After all, Kei is the type to contemplate until he comes up with the perfect solution.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo continues, apologetic and sad. “I shouldn’t have done that. I—”

 

Kei crosses his arms, waiting for Kuroo’s excuse so that he can shut it down for what it is. Kuroo notices and immediately swallows the words away. It’s a damn shame that Kuroo has always been perceptive.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo dares not elaborate in front of Akiteru and for good reason. “Please come home.”

 

“No,” Kei says with finality and turns his attention back to the game—they’ve already taken enough of a break in between sets.

 

Kei had already gotten permission to take leave from the laboratory so he has nothing to worry about with regards to his work. That’s why Kei will continue doing what he returned to Miyagi for. Ignoring Kuroo was the point and while Akiteru has given him the look, Kei has done more than enough by acknowledging Kuroo. Whatever Kuroo’s business is, Kei wants no part of it.

 

“Let’s start the third set,” Kei suggests.

 

Akiteru raises a brow, “Aren’t you in the middle of something?”

 

“Aren’t _we_ in the middle of something?” Kei quips.

 

As per usual, Akiteru’s team gives into Kei’s whims easily, babying him because he’s the youngest. They adore Akiteru too much and perhaps that translates into the way that they treat Kei. Or maybe, they are worried about Akiteru. If that is the case, Kei is grateful that Akiteru has made some lifelong friends. Whatever it is, they agree to start the third set. Kuroo stubbornly stays to watch. It’s only when they are heading back to Kei’s childhood home that Akiteru pushes the matter.

 

“Did the two of you fight?” Akiteru hisses while stealing a glance at Kuroo.

 

Kei does not confirm or deny the notion. Kei doesn’t know if it can be called a fight. Looking at it now, it was pretty one sided but that doesn’t mean that Kei wasn’t wronged.

 

“Do I need to fight him too?” Akiteru presses.

 

Kei snorts at how keen Akiteru is, “No.”

 

“Aw,” Akiteru deflates.

 

“He doesn’t deserve that kind of attention,” Kei shakes his head and then picks up his pace. “Leave it, _nii-chan_.”

 

 

 

 

 

The next afternoon, Kei confirms that he had made a mistake. Kei should have just indulged Akiteru because his silence has encouraged Akiteru’s curiosity. Instead of acting to pacify Kei’s foul mood, Akiteru has invited Kuroo to join their practice game. Whatever Kei did not say, Kuroo has and it’s swayed Akiteru to take his side.

 

“ _Nii-chan_ ,” Kei glares.

 

Akiteru dismisses Kei’s anger and proceeds to divide the teams. Akiteru stresses that he’s doing this fairly, but that only makes his choices more obvious. It’s clear to Kei that Akiteru had pulled some strings last night. Kei is annoyed but Akiteru has set everything against him by riling up both sides of the court into a competition. It’s childish but Kei cannot stand the look he receives, as if they’re expecting him to back out and that’s how Kei gets stuck playing.

 

It’s a close game and by a stroke of luck, Kuroo’s team takes the victory. Kei can only take pride in the fact that he had kept his cool throughout the game. There were too many tempting instances where Kei could have smashed the ball into Kuroo’s stupid grinning face. Kuroo was totally baiting him into it, but Kei refuses to feel that guilt.

 

“Kei, once you clean the gym you can go home.” Akiteru announces as if he hadn’t already planned for this. “The rest of you are going to be treating us to drinks!”

 

Although Kei is tired, he can deal with that—if only it was just that. In this case, Kei would rather flatten his wallet rather than let everything go according to Akiteru’s plan. Unfortunately for Kei, everyone is on board with Akiteru’s plan and there’s no escape. They usher out quickly after doing their warm down stretches, leaving Kei to clean and Kuroo to keep him company.

 

“Let me help,” Kuroo offers.

 

Kei wants to fight Kuroo for his own time and space but knows that it will take him forever to finish on his own, so he acquiesces to Kuroo’s offer. It’s not like Kuroo would have passed up on his opportunity anyway. Even if he has to take the help, Kei holds onto the silence—that’s his only advantage in this situation.

 

“Tsukishima,” Kuroo speaks up when they are halfway through.

 

It’s a serious tone, unlike yesterday’s flippant one and it stops Kei in his tracks. Kei has to put the mop down to prevent himself from instinctively using it against Kuroo. Violence is never the way and Kei does not want things to get out of hand. Kei had already gotten a taste of that before he came home and it had left an unpleasant feeling behind.

 

“Kuroo-san,” Kei acknowledges because has to give Kuroo that. Akiteru was right. Their parents taught Kei to be better. “What do you want now?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo repeats. “This is the only way I could think of to steal some of your time.”

 

“Honestly,” Kei clicks his tongue. “What did you say to my brother?”

 

“Nothing!” Kuroo jumps. “Or well, I told him that I needed to apologise to you but I didn’t say anymore because—”

 

“That was smart,” Kei comments.

 

“Yes,” Kuroo admits nervously. “I do plan to tell him too, that is, if you’ll let me.”

 

It sounds like Kuroo is preparing himself for Akiteru’s wrath. Kei cannot decide whether it’s a good thing or not, that Kuroo how much trouble he is in.

 

“And?” Kei presses. “What do you need my time for?”

 

“To apologise,” Kuroo answers. “I’ll do it properly this time. None of my half-arsed attempt like yesterday.”

 

“Oh?” Kei crosses his arms in anticipation, “Go on then.”

 

Unlike yesterday, Kuroo looks nervous and uncomfortable, vulnerable almost. Kei is being mean on purpose and its only slightly satisfying to see Kuroo struggle. More than anything else, there’s a huge feeling of dread looming over him. It’s not like Kei confessed to Kuroo so he cannot be rejected but it feels like that’s exactly what’s happening. Kei came home to prepare himself for it because Kei knows where Kuroo’s heart lies. However, Kei did not think that Kuroo would chase him down to make things clear. Kei knows that it was just a mistake but it’s not something that he wants to hear coming from Kuroo’s mouth.

 

“Spit it out already,” Kei grumbles.

 

Although Kei is not prepared, he would rather that Kuroo didn’t drag it out. It’s been a long time coming so it’s about time for Kei to stop. Kuroo is here to help him with that, so Kei should let him. In the long run, this will be good for Kei and for Yamaguchi too.

 

“I’m trying to do this right,” Kuroo replies. “No excuses. Tsukishima, I’m sorry for kissing you without your consent.”

 

Kei can feel his face heating. Kuroo is always so damn forward, Kei wishes he would change that up a bit. Kei knows what he wants to say, even if he doesn’t say it like that. That does not seem to be the end of it. Kuroo may have said his piece but he proceeds to stare at Kei with anticipation.

 

“…What?” Kei asks.

 

“Your reply?” Kuroo prompts.

 

“Ah,” Kei has to accept the apology and then prepare himself for the rejection all over again and he’s doing so while lying through his teeth, “I’ll accept your apology on the condition that you never do it again.”

 

After all, Kei still needs to return to Tokyo and continue living with Kuroo until he finds a new place. Kei has to draw the line and it’s good to start at the place that Kuroo knows he should not breach again.

 

“Eh?” Kuroo looks flustered. “By that you mean—don’t kiss you again without consent or don’t kiss you at all?”

 

Kei scrunches his face together, “Huh?”

 

“Because I totally want to,” Kuroo babbles, face red with a shade that rivals Nekoma’s jersey. “Kiss you. With your consent of course.”

 

It doesn’t make sense whatsoever. Kei stares at Kuroo, dumbfounded and Kuroo stares back because he’s always up to taking on challenges. Nothing that Kuroo has said today adds up and Kei cannot help but think that he’s being played.

 

“I’m sorry?” Kei tilts his head.

 

“What I mean to say is that I like you,” Kuroo blurts out, “So that’s why I want to—”

 

“Shut up,” Kei interrupts him immediately, willing the heat to leave his cheeks. “I heard you the first time.”

 

“Then—”

 

Luckily for Kei, he doesn’t have to give Kuroo an answer today. Akiteru and the team never left. Akiteru is the first to make a fuss outside the gym doors, screaming about coming in to fight Kei’s case and his teammates struggle to stop him.

 

“Kei!” Akiteru yells as he throws his arms around Kei’s shoulders protectively.

 

“ _Nii-chan_ …” Kei grits his teeth. “What are you even…?”

 

“Protecting you of course!” Akiteru announces proudly. “I’m not handing my baby brother over to you, Kuroo!”

 

“Eh?” Kuroo swallows nervously. “ _Onii-san_ —”

 

“Who’s your _onii-san_?” Akiteru grumbles.

 

Kuroo makes a face, “Last night—”

 

“That was last night!” Akiteru interrupts. “Who knew you had such intentions? I refuse to accept this!”

 

Kei stands between them as they argue and wishes that he could disappear. Soon enough, it’s difficult to keep up with their banter—it’s now just a matter of their pride. As soon as Kei finds an opportunity to escape, Kei slips out of Akiteru’s hold and leaves.

 

“Wanna go for some drinks?” Akaizawa catches him outside the gym.

 

Kei has no reason to hesitate, “Sure.”

 

“Didn’t the guy just confess to you?” Akaizawa laughs vibrantly. “You sure are cool.”

 

Kei shrugs, “They’re going to be a while.”

 

“They love you, huh?” Akaizawa snorts.

 

Kei looks back and deadpans, “Is that what it looks like to you?”

 

Akaizawa steals a glance at the childish school ground fighting that’s begun and concedes, “Maybe not.”

 

“Thought so,” Kei snorts. “Drinks?”

 

“Drinks.”

 

_Fin._


End file.
